


Human

by LavedaVida



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Talk of social anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 14:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LavedaVida/pseuds/LavedaVida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I didn’t think he’d be that weird,” Grantaire said, shrugging and looking up at Combeferre. “I mean, he’s beautiful and amazing and I’m so amazingly pleased to be together with him, but… man, he’s really weird.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Human

“I didn’t think he’d be that weird,” Grantaire said, shrugging and looking up at Combeferre. “I mean, he’s beautiful and amazing and I’m so amazingly pleased to be together with him, but… man, he’s really weird.”

Combeferre laughed, and nodded. “Once you start to get to know him past the superficial things, he is a bit odd, isn’t he?”

“Sometimes he just walks into a room, stands there with these wide eyes and his mouth open like a fish, and then he’ll just turn around and walk right out! Doesn’t say a word, just leaves the room. And whenever he’s upset with his writing, he blows raspberries. _He blows raspberries_. I knew that he wouldn’t seem quite so… other-worldly once I started getting to really, really know him but… he’s weird!”

Combeferre bit his lip. “But you’re not considering…”

“Considering?”

“I don’t know. Leaving him?”

“Would I ever?” Grantaire asked, quietly.

“I feel like this is the time to make the obligatory ‘if you hurt my best friend I’ll break your face’ speech,” said Combeferre. “I can throw a mean punch.”

Grantaire shook his head. “I’m not—it’s just so strange. Because I spent so long looking up to him and wanting to be a part of his life, and wanting to be there for him. And now I am. And I’m getting to see the Enjolras that he doesn’t put on show for everyone. The one that only really you and Courfeyrac know. “

Combeferre nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Just… he’s more human than you might think. As much as it seems like things don’t hurt him, like he’s… well, he’s been called a sociopath before, but he’s _not_. He understands human emotion, and he empathizes with people so much more than anybody expects. And you may not really see it at first, but he’s the exact opposite of a god, Grantaire. He’s as human and real as you and I. So for the love of God, don’t put him on a pedestal. He’s a guy in his twenties who feels too many emotions sometimes and sometimes feels like the whole world is on his shoulders. But he’s just that—a guy in his twenties. He _does_ drink, as much as you might think he doesn’t. He likes ridiculous coffee drinks and to balance cups on the back of his hands.”

“Tell me more about him,” said Grantaire, softly. “I mean—I’m in a relationship with him, yeah, but this kind of thing hasn’t come up yet. And I want to… I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to drive him away.”

“He has some talents that may surprise you,” said Combeferre, smiling slightly. “He can unicycle, for one.”

“He can _what?!_ ”

“Unicycle.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. He keeps it in his closet. We all learned when we were teenagers, and he just really likes it. I’ve come home to him unicycling in the middle of the living room before, juggling scarves and trying to write a speech in his head.”

“He can juggle, too?”

“He’s just a guy, Grantaire. He has some weird talents. He’s not all revolution all the time, as much as it may seem that way.”

“And he unicycles in the middle of the living room?”

“Yeah, there’s this thing that you can do called ‘rocking’ where you just rock back and forth and stay in basically one place, and he’s really quite good at it. He can do it for hours. Says it helps him think.”

Grantaire bit his lip. “I really have put him on a bit of a pedestal, haven’t I? Before recently, all I’ve gotten to see is this revolution side to him. He doesn’t really like to go out to parties, he likes revolution and school.”

“He’s got social anxiety,” Combeferre said, softly. “It’s not too bad, but it’s bad enough that clubs make him anxious.”

“He’s leading a revolution, and he’s got _social anxiety_?”

“He learned to speak in front of crowds without panicking back in high school. He’s doing a lot better now. It’s only really big speeches that get him, these days. He can cope with the rest.”

“Oh,” Grantaire said, looking away from Combeferre.

“It’s better when he’s got friends around him. That’s why at least Courfeyrac and I are behind him during every speech. We’re behind him both physically and in spirit.”

Grantaire nodded, and they fell silent as Grantaire digested that information. “Tell me more about his weird habits,” Grantaire said.

“You don’t want to discover for yourself?”

“From what I can tell, I’ll be discovering plenty by myself,” said Grantaire, with a laugh.

“All his bookshelves are double-layered—there are two layers of books on each, and there’s a complicated system for where each book is kept. He and Jehan thought it up, and he’s really particular about it. He’s amazing at balancing a spoon on his nose. Sometimes he blasts rap music while he’s working, and not good rap music—no, this is the worst French rap you can find. And he loves the stuff.”

“French rap.”

“It’s not one of his more pleasant habits,” Combeferre said, laughing. “He writes his to-do list on a whiteboard in the kitchen and checks it off as he goes through his day. He wears mismatched socks on the weekends. He bites his lip when he’s thinking, and has to buy ridiculous amounts of lip balm for that reason.”

Grantaire buried his face in his hands. “Combeferre. Combeferre, he’s _adorable_.”

Combeferre laughed. “I know.”

“It shouldn’t be allowed,” Grantaire wailed. “He… he fucking unicycles! And balances crap on his nose and bites his lip and listens to French rap and he can juggle and I can’t take it, he’s adorable.”

“He’s not all revolutionary fervor,” Combeferre murmured. “Under that mask, there’s a person, you know.”

“I know that, now. I didn’t used to, but… well, I definitely know it now.”

“I’m glad.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://www.the-strangest-sea.tumblr.com)
> 
> Based on [this post](http://www.orestesblasting-pyladesfunk.tumblr.com/post/72275643788/when-they-first-start-spending-lots-of-time)


End file.
